ESPN: BYU to go independent in football and join WCC in other sports

Brigham Young University will leave the Mountain West Conference for the 2011-12 season, go independent in football and join the West Coast Conference in all other sports, notably men's basketball.

The WCC confirmed the addition of BYU on Tuesday but said neither it nor BYU would comment until a press conference scheduled for Wednesday.

BYU had originally agreed to go to the Western Athletic Conference in all sports and go independent in football before the MWC squelched the move by inviting WAC members Fresno State and Nevada two weeks ago.

BYU had until Wednesday to notify the MWC if it was going to leave for the 2011-12 season.

The WCC held a conference call Monday with all eight presidents to approve the move. WCC presidents wanted only private institutions in the league and weren't interested in any other WAC member. The WCC wasn't limiting its search to only faith-based schools, but BYU does fit the profile since the other eight members are all faith-based universities and colleges. When WCC commissioner Jamie Zaninovich first got to the WCC in April 2008 he had looked into adding Big West members Pacific (private) and UC Santa Barbara but the moves were rejected, notably for adding a public school.